West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1887-06-10

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not say why they wished to leave
her service, and not even promise
of advanced wages, when once they
were resolved to depart, seemed suf
ficient to shake their determination.
One night, when the lady and her
husband were preparing to retire,
the sounds of many footsteps were
heard in the spare rooms on the
third floor just over her head. She
knew that none Of her family were
there, for these rooms had not yet
been furnished. 1t could not be the
servants, for the lady had just come
from below stairs, where she had
seen them finishing up their work,
and as the door of her chamber,
which almost faced the stairway,
was open, she would have noticed
them as they passed. So she called
her husband, and he, thoroughly
aroused by what had lately trans
pired in the house, made q dash for
the rooms whence the noises pro-
ceeded, determined to clear up the
mystery. He boltcd into the apart
ments, he searched the closets. the
hallway, and even thrust his arm up
the chimneys of the fireplaces. He
saw no one, he heard no one!
A few nights afterward there was
still more uncanny occurrence.
Husband and wife and young lady,
temporarily sojourning with them,
sat by the open fireplace of their
sitting room on the second floor.
The rain pattered fitfully against
the windows, and the shadows of
night, disturbed by the flickering
gas lights in the street, wandered
into the dimly lighted apartment,
for the gas was turned down, and
threw various uncouth figures upon
the wall. "What is that?" suddenly
exclaimed the wife, and she started
up and looked in the direction ofthe
stairway, the landing of which, as
said before, being just outside the
door of this room. All listened.
Sure enough, there was a distinct
sound of people coming slowly up
the stairway. They stepped heavily,
as if carrying some burden between
them, and the creaking of the stairs
and the swish-swish Of the women's
clothing along the ballasters was
distinct. Mr.. Smith made leap for
the door, and the two women put
their hands to their heads in fright.
There was nothing to be seen on the
stairway, absolutely nothing, and, as
the man stood upon the landing and
looked down, there was not d sound
to be heard, the silence being almost
oppressive. But no sooner was he
returned into the chamber than the
sounds began again, the procession
up the stairway continued its solemn
way, carrying its burden, and the
stairs creaked and the swish of the
female garments was once more aud
ible. This was too much for the
Smith family, and they were fully
resolved to leave the house ut an
early day.
But poor Mrs. Smith was destined
to receive worse fright Her hus-
band being called out Of town on
business, she locked and bolted the
doors Of the apartments in which
herself and children slept, and des-
'perately determined to close her ears
TO the uncouth noises that nightly
proceeded from the stairway and the
hall. She was awakened in the
middle of the night by the tramping
of people with measured step in the
room Immediately overhead. They
seemed to be carrying some heavy
body into the room which they let
down with a thud upon the floor,
and the groans which came down
the chimney, were grewsome and
distressing. The poor woman was
horror-struck. She lay awake, as
she afterwards described her condi
tion to friend, like one in trance,
with wide open eyes, staring into
the inky darkness of her apartment,
unable to move a limb and fearing
to turn her eyes either to the left or
right, lest she should see some terri
BILE form. While she was in this
state she heard the screams Of her
! two children in the adjoining room,
and at the same time felt her bed
swaying from side to side. With a
frantic effort she leaped from her
bed and few to their assistance.
Some one, they said, had pulled the
bed clothes off of them; and, sure
enough, the coverings Of the two lit
tie cots lay piled upon the floor. She
lighted the gas and examined the
locks and bolts of the doors in both
chambers. They were undisturbed.
Pacing up and down, she awaited
the coming of day, resolved not to
pass another night in the house, a
resolve that was the more firmly
established when the servants ap-
peared with blanched faces and their
hats on, to tel. her they wouldn't re-
main longer under the roof for love
or money.
Mr.. Smith, on his arrival in the
afternoon, hearing of the occurrences
of the preceding night, was indig-
! nant rnthnr than alarmed A hard-